3 Lighting Tricks for Dark Food Photography

[@TheBiteShot]

Join the PPA today for a special discount! www.ppa.com/join/Joanie-Simon

[@melinamenendez1732]

Love you, Joanie

[@responsiblecuisine4974]

You amazingly professional 👏🏻👏🏻 thanks for this lesson, I will use it on my next shooting😬

[@emanueladestefani9175]

Thank yoou Joanie! Great video as always! But if I may, I love your videos without the soundtrack! Your voice is great, no need of music!

[@SSHK237]

Awesome! I wish you also demonstrate the 'making of yummy looking burger'! It would be interesting and good thing to learn! Thanx!

[@AtlantaTerry]

Great idea! Show the assembly of the burger.

[@bhushanmali2988]

great teacher till now🙏

[@mikeviney5498]

welcome back i love this kind of videos from you

[@hadiarabbanibadhan6317]

Me too

[@marcoss6212]

She strikes again, very helpful, always with a smile and helping the rest of us, you're unique!

[@LizCustomSneakers]

Super!! I love it. I made my practice and I feel like a pro 😅!

[@gilbertproductions4754]

Im literally doing a dark themed restaurant food shoot tomorrow morning. Impeccable timing haha

[@BLOXFRUIT-h1v]

Loving your creativity. 👍😊. Seriously this is the best photography chanel ever. 📷😍❤️

[@dr.peterscroll422]

I'm learning new things everyday. Thanks.

[@blcsuperdave]

Silhouette. Oh! I thought you said fill-ouette... and I'm like, Joannie just added a new term to photography! Cool. FYI - I've worked in professional video since 1983... have been a CPP in PPA for about 8 years. If you don't present in your own room at the next in-person Imaging USA... and you aren't teaching from the show floor... it would be a crime. Great videos! Love them! Beautiful work.

[@BrieWilly]

You are a true light shaper!! I always love seeing images come to life by making adjustments to light. Ready for our KZbin to go over all the burgers for the challenge 😊😂

[@michaelcarvalho3796]

love your video as always.I too play with light a lot inspite of shooting in natural light.

[@shehlaiftikhar7586]

Thank you for sharing all the tricks and techniques for dark and moody photography. You always have something new and interesting to share. Loved it❤️

[@BOT_Botman]

I'm inspired indeed. Thanks for the awesome tutorial as always Sensei!

[@foodsetcetera8604]

Nice video. Thanks for the tips.

[@cristina_ldn]

Great video tutorial Joanie. Looking forward to more new content.

[@salmaannawaz229]

I love taking food photos. Thanks for this video. :)

[@saeidehrad5070]

Might sound crazy but if you vacuum that glitter paper and spray it with clear finish, mess gone, sparkle stays, win win

[@AtlantaTerry]

If you are going to spray it with a clear finish, then why vacuum it?

[@saeidehrad5070]

@@AtlantaTerry yeah tried it but loose glitter will separate in chunks if you don't

[@KeepingItRelle]

I struggle with dark and moody. Thanks for sharing your knowledge as always!

[@ektakataria]

Loved this video. Please provide more tips on natural lighting too.

[@salmamagdy6048]

Welcome back, I'm learning a lot from you, thank you

[@mowgaliphotography2472]

Hi, I really like your video, you are the best teacher I can have in food photography. Can you please do a video on a food gift hamper? As festivals are approaching, this will be helpful. I found no video around that topic. What are the composition and what light is best, where to put the box in the composition? I hope you will surely do something about this. Thank you.

[@mariazanon5540]

I love your channel. I like to learn with you. I congratulate you. I know very little English. Hopefully you can put subtitles in Spanish. All the best.

[@cnieman82]

Just in time to help some of my own dark and moody shots. Thanks and happy Halloween!

[@FocusedNatureWithUtkarsh]

Amazing tricks....nice video

[@jody1622]

OK, got it, except what did you do with the tape? Love the sparkle paper!

[@AtlantaTerry]

The large roll of tape threw a shadow where it was needed. Jody, where you live do you have a Dollar Tree store or something similar? If so, go to their floral arrangement supply area and buy a roll or two of thick soft floral wire. Then on the set, uncoil some of the wire and attach a card to the tip to block light where needed. You can also do the same thing with some shiny foil to act as a reflector.

[@byronmasonphotography]

Instead of a piece of glitter paper (so messy and fragile), I use aluminum foil; you have a dull side, a shinny side and you can crinkle it for some chaos. It is cheap, travels well and is fit to size, wrap a piece of foam core with it for extra rigidity.

[@SamiaBouchenafaOfficiel]

Merci beaucoup

[@MomenGalalAref]

Big fan from Egypt 🇪🇬

[@rosemarywallsworth9994]

Really interesting! Thank you x

[@brusnikko]

lol just look at that white card bited by Joanie 8:14 ahahaha

[@fatfingersstudios2714]

thanks for the tips Joanie

[@TheBiteShot]

You bet!

[@tlpetrella]

Music in the background is very distracting. Loved you older videos without the music. This music has too fast a tempo and pushes your instruct and makes it as if you are rushing.

[@AtlantaTerry]

Absolutely! Where is it written that KZbin videos *must* have a music track?

[@greenstreamsstudio508]

Hello Joanie, Thank you for your tip and genuine humour! I love it is makes me trust you and your skills. I was wondering how you edit your photos for print. Obviously we shoot in RGB but print is CMYK. What adjustments do your make, anticipating how your photo will look on printed cookbook paper? I am currently in the process of creating my own Gluten-free and Dairy-Free cookbook and would really appreciate any pointer you can give me. Thanks, Tamara Green

[@omegafoodphotography8836]

That sure is a killer burger Joanie! Love this video! Totally inspired - going to give this a shot! 😊💜

[@SofiaBelchiorinho]

Hi Joanie can you make videos explaining how to capture steam, smoke and other motion shots? :)

[@aheli.23]

This was extremely helpful.. Thank you so much !!

[@delia9431]

Love your work 100% I would love to see links to your light set and give you credit for it...

[@TheBiteShot]

Sure thing! All my lights and gear are at www.joaniesimon.com/tools-i-use

[@robertryan8029]

Great video. You are always so creative with your lighting. Suggestion: If you want to get away from the sparkly craft paper, try using aluminum foil that has been very tightly crumpled, then straightened out. Same effect without sparkles falling off. ;-)

[@TheBiteShot]

Great idea!

[@AtlantaTerry]

Actually, all one needs to do us use the dull side of aluminum foil, it does not need to be wrinkled although that is an option. * Smear white craft glue over any surface such as a Foamcore board. * Spread out sheets of aluminum foil over the surface. * Use weights to press down the foil + glue + surface "sandwich". (Prevents curl.) * Wait a day or so for the glue to fully dry. * Use clear shipping tape to reinforce all 4 edges. One of the boards I made in this manner has been part of my lighting kit since the early '70s.

[@SinginSquid12]

I just adore Joanie. I love her and all of her videos! But I really hate the muzak in the background. I felt like I was in the grocery store in 1990 lol.

[@AtlantaTerry]

Yes! Why do KZbin posters all think they need music in the background?

[@bikecommuter24]

Nice lighting As a Vegetarian I appreciate this. LOL some of our local restaurants are offering Veggie Burger but they put a hot or spicy dressing on it to give it more flavor. I'm being good at my favorite local restaurant I get my Veggie Burger in a lettuce wrap, but they put grilled onion and tomato on it but I ask them to leave the dressing off and I put Tapatio, Tabasco or if I'm feeling adventurous (ie stupid) Siriacha on it. I make my own veggie burger with black beans and onion. I may try this one.

[@TheBiteShot]

I love Sriracha!

[@janagijeeven7657]

Cool Jonie

[@hadiarabbanibadhan6317]

I wish if you would upload more...,😍 You are my favourite.

[@mohitupadhayay1439]

It's always an amazing learning through BTS.

[@fabiofieri854]

hi! sorry, I search for a 20x36 inch strip box but in the video it look like it was smaller on the small size..like a 40cm 90cm? do I have bad understood?

[@AtlantaTerry]

Joanie, another informative video. With respect, may I make a few production comments? 1. that music track is annoying to the point where one has to "unlisten" to it to understand what you are talking about. No, KZbin videos do not *need* a music track. 2. your dark hair + a black top + a dark background is not a good combination. In a similar situation, use a lower wattage light above and behind you that strikes your hair and shoulders in order to pull you out of the background. Be sure to flag that light from hitting the video camera lens so as to not end up with lens flare, a lens hood might not be enough. Fly a black card just over the camera lens or just above your head and out of the shot. 3. behind your right shoulder (camera left) there seems to be *something* lurking in the shadows. Is it a black camera on a tripod? It is hard to tell which makes it distracting. You might want to kick a bit of light into that area from the left so the viewer can see what it is. #2 and #3 lead me to believe you can see shadow details in your camera preview and/or video editing suite that we viewers do not see. Most likely this might be due to KZbin's compressing the video or doing something else that throws away shadow detail. During production, It might be a good idea to have a monitor that has a LUT (Look Up Table) that will preview for you what we viewers will see. Then light to that. Or when y'all are editing the video, pull up the shadow detail a bit. You can also light flatter then adjust contrast in post. Keep up the good work. Your friend, Terry Thomas Director of Photography Atlanta, Georgia USA

[@CineFilmsdr]

Question: I've seen way too low prices on really good food photography stock images. Is it a good idea to have expensive gear to make the job or will clients eventualy turn to stock they can buy for cheap prices?

[@AtlantaTerry]

When was the last time you were in a Chinese restaurant here in the USA? Most of them do use stock photos.

[@AtlantaTerry]

The thing that stock photos can not do is show what each individual restaurant has about it that is unique - from the food to the venue. Otherwise, you are right.

[@michelateixeira4452]

Joanie thanks again for another amazing video!!! These tips are so helpful, specially when you show before and after and all the setup for the light 🙏 BTW, It seems that someone 🐶🐱 chewed the corner of your white cardboard 🤣

[@TheBiteShot]

You guessed right! He's almost two years now, but little goober loved chewing things when he was a pup!! :)

[@stevebikes995]

The content of this video was great as I'd expect. If you're open to a little subscriber feedback, I found the background music bit on the annoying side. You really don't need it.

[@LuisMcote5]

Now I want to eat a hamburger ... and take a picture of it first, if my primitive instincts don't control me hahaha. Thanks for the vids, please, make more about lighting! Big hug and stay safe! 😃

[@veganvigilante7104]

Hi. Really informative but as someone who is trying to learn this u focus so little and go so fast on the actual BTS setup I can’t really see the whole picture without rewinding and stopping the video multiple times and then sti not seeing the whole picture.

[@rainagamingmagex2195]

love this dark food photography is my fav!!! thank you . look me up on Instagram Photo_storm_photography.

[@NadeemVlogs]

Nice Job- #nadeemvlogs

[@photofocus_professional]

Don't say Laab Laab . Show your practical work how did you shoot .

[@matthiasevert8484]

Much too long commercial about ppa.